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Local Families

Denninger and Link Family History

The Denninger and Link family are related because Glady Link married Calvin Denninger. Some of the businesses they had were farming, logging and a t- shirt company. Joseph Denninger and his family arrived in Minong in the 1870’s and Chris Link arrived in the 1880’s. Both of the families came from Germany. They came here to log and farm. The Denningers purchased 80 acres of land and the Links purchased 100 acres when they first arrived. Joseph Denninger had three boys and two girls when he arrived in Minong. The Links had two boys and two girls. Calvin was the first to farm from the Denninger family.

The Denningers owned a lot of land for their four farms for cattle, hay, and horses. When Calvin first started farming he tried to grow beans and corn, but it did not work because of the poor soil. Both of the families raised cows so they had milk to drink. They would butcher the cows for meat once they were too old.

Johnson Family

Billie Johnson

On July 1914, Great Grandpa Russell Johnson was born, and on November 1915, Great Grandma Martha Johnson was born. Great Grandpa Bradley Garrity was born on December 1915, and in May 1918, Great Grandma Lorraine Garrity was born.

Great Great Grandpa Lars Evanger came from Norway, he was the father of Great Grandma Martha Johnson, she was Grandpa Leroy’s mother. Great Great Grandpa Albin Russell Johnson came from Sweden, he was Grandpa Leroy’s father. Great Great Grandpa Johnson Charles Bradley came from Ireland. Great Grandpa of Antoine Russell Bradley is the father of Grandma Bessie. Great Great Grandma, named after a Cherokee Indian (name is unknown), she came from North Carolina, she was a Cherokee Indian, and is grandmother of Grandma Bessie. Great Great Grandpa Jerome Meyers came from Germany, he married Delia (LaFermier) Meyers, who was an Ojibwé Chippewa Indian

On October 1, 1934, Grandpa Leroy Johnson was born. Grandpa Leroy was born and raised in Superior, Wisconsin, his whole life. Great Grandpa Russell bought the Whitefish (Bardon) Lake property in 1950, when Grandpa Leroy was only 16 years old. The property has been owned by the Johnson family for 64 years and still is. On November 4, 1942, Grandma Bessie Garrity was born in Odanah, Wisconsin.

Grandpa Leroy worked on the railroad for fourteen years. He started work on the railroad when he was 16 years old. He ran the St. Croix Cafe`, Johnson’s Harbor, and he was also a school bus driver. Grandma Bessie was a nurse and she also ran and cooked at the St. Croix Cafe` and Johnson‘s Harbor.

Grandpa Leroy had one sister Sandy, and Grandma Bessie had three sisters, Barbara, Margie, Mary, and also had two brothers, Buddy and Paul. Bessie and Leroy had six children, Leroy, Susie, Georgiana, William, Leslie, and Jennifer.

Grandpa Leroy and Grandma Bessie were married on December 5, 1963. The same year they bought the St. Croix Cafe, and it was later closed in 1969. The Johnson Harbor was first bought in early 1992 and was later opened in October, 1992. The Johnson Harbor was a bar and restaurant, which was later closed in 2000.